Alumni Hall of Fame Inducts Four

The 2008 inductees joined
the many members of the Alumni Hall of Fame.

For nearly a century and a half,
Santa Ana College has supported the growth of Orange
County by preparing thousands of students annually for
their futures as self-reliant, productive citizens in
our community. This year’s May 19th inductees
into the college’s Alumni Hall of Fame have demonstrated
during their careers leadership and a sense of purpose
that is truly remarkable.

After a rocky start at a 4-year
college, Doug Davert reconsidered his options and
enrolled at Santa Ana College. He particularly credits
Professor George Wright, under whom he studied both at
Santa Ana College and Chapman University, with helping
him focus in on what became a very successful career as
an attorney and civic leader. Today a partner in the
firm of Davert & Loe, which specializes in real estate,
land use and business matters, Doug also serves as Judge
ProTem for the Long Beach/Los Angeles Superior Courts.

Doug’s work in the legal profession
is merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it
comes to leadership. He has a long, continuing record of
community service, both in Tustin and greater Orange
County. He has held numerous offices in Tustin,
including Mayor. An avid supporter of the school system
in both elected and volunteer positions, Doug also
serves on numerous county boards, including the Orange
County Fire Authority, Airport Land Use Commission and
Orange County Council of Governments.

"Receiving this award was a
tremendous honor,” says Doug. “It was nice to be
recognized for my post-graduate achievements. The
ceremony was very meaningful, and I enjoyed visiting the
campus again after all these years. It is very rewarding
to feel the sense of energy and know that many of the
current students will benefit from the same jump-start
to their careers that I received at SAC."

Joining Doug in the Alumni Hall of
Fame is David Valentin, a Santa Ana native. Growing up
in a single-parent home, David managed to overcome many
challenges to build an extremely successful career in
law enforcement. After earning his AA degree from Santa
Ana College, he joined the Santa Ana Police Department.
David was so inspired by the potential he saw in his new
job that he returned to SAC to earn another AS, this
time in Criminal Justice. Thus began a far-reaching
18-year career that has covered many of the major
functions of the department, from Patrol Sergeant, to
Gang Unit, Sexual Assault Unit, Internal Affairs
Inspector and more. His current assignment is the
Commander of Human Resources Division. David
subsequently obtained a BA and MPA in Public
Administration from Cal State Fullerton, and he is also
a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico,
Virginia.

David’s commanding officers
characterize him as an ambassador, linking together the
diverse segments of the Santa Ana community. He has been
a leader for five years in the Stay in School Program,
helped a Medical Clinic Task Force address unlicensed
and inadequate medical care, implemented a Parent
Academy to equip families to avoid gangs and juvenile
delinquency and so much more. David was also invited to
participate in the 2007 and 2008 Orange County Young
Men’s Conferences as an advocate for higher education.

“Being selected to the Alumni Hall
of Fame was an honor I never expected, and I am truly
humbled by it,” says David. “I am grateful that I have
been in a position in which I could influence our young
people to stay out of gangs, take advantage of the
education available to them and build positive lives.”

Like David, Hall of Fame honoree
Ertuvan Kanatsiz has influenced countless numbers of
young people during his 44-year career as a teacher in
the Orange Unified School District, on the staff of SAC
and on soccer fields across the county. Born in
Istanbul, Turkey, Ertuvan migrated to the United States
at the age of 23. With no knowledge of English, no
contacts and no money, he ended up in Santa Ana,
stepping boldly forward in pursuit of his dreams. There,
the generosity and kindness of strangers directed him to
Santa Ana College, where he learned English, worked hard
and found friends by establishing the first-ever soccer
team for a community college. They had to play four-year
schools in order to compete at all. After earning his AA
at Santa Ana College and a BA at Cal State Long Beach,
Ertuvan served as head of the Foreign Language
Department for the Orange Unified School District for 22
years.

Believing that shaping the
character of young people could occur outside of the
classroom as well as within, Ertuvan spent countless
hours coaching athletics at high schools and colleges.
He taught them how to accept victory and defeat with
equal grace. And then he demonstrated that you are never
too young or too poor to extend a compassionate hand to
someone in need. He encouraged a sense of philanthropy
in his young charges, leading them in money-raising
activities to benefit earthquake victims, the US Olympic
team, children with leukemia and victims of gang
violence. Ertuvan Kanatsiz has been a role model to his
students and the community at large.

“It was very gratifying for me to
share this moment with my family and friends, and
reaffirm my faith in public education,” says Ertuvan.
“My immediate family and my students are responsible for
any success I have experienced. When my son, a former
Santa Ana College Hall of Famer recipient, pinned the
award on my jacket, it was a very emotional moment for
me. It could not have been better. I owe everything to
this country. Some who were born here may not realize
the opportunity they have. My advice to them is this:
Work, work hard, and the result will be there.”

Final Alumni Hall of Fame honoree
Heather Ann Herbert had her career do an abrupt “about,
face”, following the terrorist attacks of September 11,
2001 on the twin towers of New York City.

After earning her AA in political
science at Santa Ana College, Heather completed her
undergraduate degree at Cal Poly Pomona and then her
Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School, where she
studied human rights under Supreme Court Justice Anthony
Kennedy. She began working at PacifiCare Health Systems,
but missed the public service arena. She joined the US
Army Reserves, one short week before September 11. For
the next six months, Heather worked Monday through
Friday at PacifiCare, and spent weekends preparing wills
and powers of attorney for deploying soldiers. After one
year, she decided to serve our country full-time and was
placed on active duty with the 3rd Infantry
Division.

Heather was sent to Iraq, where she
has served as Special Troops Battalion Trial Counsel and
has prosecuted nine cases of court-martials. She
traveled to detainment camps to do spot check with other
key officers to make sure procedures were being
followed, and she assisted in the prosecution of several
Iraqi terrorists. She has been awarded the Bronze Star
service medal and today remains on active duty.

The 2008 Santa Ana College Foundation Hall of Fame
honorees share several common attributes: a deep
appreciation for their educational experience, a passion
for service and an overwhelming gratitude for the
opportunities they have been given. We are proud to
raise them up as shining examples of the legacy of Santa
Ana College.

Concluding a very successful tenure as chairman of the SAC Foundation Board of Directors, Ken Purcell passed the gavel to incoming chairman Tony Ellis on June 30, 2008. Ken will continue his service as a member of the board, which he began in 1991. He plans to focus on building an Athletes Hall of Fame to honor the outstanding sportspersons who have kicked, putted, batted, shot and dribbled their way to success through the programs of Santa Ana College.